Connecticut College Dean of DIEI Resigns in Protest
Dean of Institutional Equity and Inclusion Rodmon King resigned Tuesday evening after Conn planned to host a fundraiser at the controversial Everglades Club.
On Tuesday evening, Dean of Institutional Equity and Inclusion (DIEI) Rodmon King resigned from his position at Connecticut College in a speech at Unity House. The resignation was prompted by the college’s scrapped plans to hold a fundraiser at the Everglades Club, a private country club in Palm Beach, Florida with a history of discrimination.
The Everglades Club denies any discrimination on the basis of race and ethnicity for its membership, but proving true or otherwise remains a challenge due to the club’s notorious silence on the makeup of its membership. Membership and membership application is not publicly available, nor does the club operate a website. Notably, cell phones are prohibited within the club.
However, much of the Everglades Club’s past has been shrouded in controversy surrounding unjust discrimination. A Jewish man was denied membership to the club in 1985, which prompted the Anti-Defamation League to send a letter to the club objecting to the discriminatory membership policies. Even more recently in 1991, the Everglades Club agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) on behalf of a black couple who had been denied membership. Even Sammy Davis Jr, a black musician renowned for jazz, was denied entry to the club ostensibly because he failed to meet the dress code criteria, but is widely believed to be the result of the club’s strict segregation policy at the time.
There have been unverified reports that the club currently has Jewish members, but no black members. However, it is challenging to confirm these reports due to the club's strict privacy policies regarding its membership.
The Instagram account @blackvoicesconncoll, an independent student-run organization, was one of the first to publicly comment on the matter, putting out a fiery statement in defense of Dean Rodmon King and criticizing President Bergeron for her willingness to affiliate the school with such a controversial organization.
The account accused President Bergeron of aligning the institution with hate and not caring about the well-being of black and Jewish students. They defended King for taking a stand against Bergeron’s plan to host the fundraiser at the Everglades Club and called for her replacement.
The account also broadened, detailing the systemic struggles DIEI faces as “overworked, underpaid, and constantly disrespected.”
In a subsequent post on their Instagram story, the account called for “Radical Unification” and to push for “Radical Change.”
Shortly after the post by @blackvoicesconncoll, President Bergeron put out a statement confirming the resignation of Dean Rodmon King, effective immediately. While not citing what caused the abrupt resignation, she stated King’s decision left her “saddened and shocked.” She further added that she will be holding office hours over the next few days to discuss the matter with students individually or in small groups.
@blackvoicesconncoll responded to President Bergeron’s statement on Instagram, calling her message “bullshit.”
Dean Rodmon King, who started as Dean of DIEI in January 2022, had brought two decades of experience in higher education to Connecticut College. He was trained as a philosopher and had a strong background in equity and inclusion, having served as an adviser to the Black Student Union and co-founded "Tools for Social Change," a program that promotes equity.
King confirmed his resignation to The Conntrarian but declined a request for further comment.
The Instagram account @blackvoicesconncoll did not respond to a request for comment.
Students plan to protest in support of King outside of Unity House at 7:30 pm tonight.
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